1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel tape cassette. More particularly, the present invention relates to a technology that ensures mounting of the tape cassette to a recording/reproducing apparatus.
More particularly, the present invention relates to a technology in which a recording medium in the form of a tape is wound upon a tape reel that is provided, and a leader tape with a rigidity that is higher than the rigidity of the recording medium in the form of a tape is connected to an unwinding end of the recording medium in the form of a tape, in order to send out the leader tape from a cartridge as a result of rotation of the tape reel in one direction and to reliably send out the leader tape.
To be more specific, the present invention relates to a technology for using one member for transmitting power between a reel table and a tape reel when the tape cassette is in use and for locking the tape reel when the tape cassette is not in use, in order to reduce the number of parts used.
2. Description of the Related Art
A one-reel tape cassette including one tape reel in a cartridge and a tape wound upon the tape reel is available.
When a conventional one-reel tape cassette is mounted to a recording/reproducing apparatus including a take-up reel, a draw-out tape that is resilient is paid out from the take-up reel towards the one-reel tape cassette, and one end of the draw-out tape and a leader tape connected to an end of a tape is brought into engagement, after which the draw-out tape is taken up by the take-up reel to draw out the tape from the cartridge.
In addition, when the one-reel tape cassette is mounted to a recording/reproducing apparatus to record and/or reproduce data, it is necessary to transmit power between the reel tape cassette and the reel table provided in the recording/reproducing apparatus. To achieve this, there has been conventionally provided, for example, a press-contacting means for press-contacting the lower surface of the tape reel and the upper surface of the reel table.
When the table reel rotates at random when the tape cassette is not in use, the winding of the tape gets disturbed. This may cause the tape to get wrinkled or entangled, and thus damage it. To prevent the tape reel from rotating at random, it is necessary to keep the tape reel locked. To achieve this, there has been conventionally provided a biasing means for engaging a lock means provided at the tape reel and a lock means provided at the cartridge.
However, in the above-described conventional one-reel tape cassette, the draw-out tape is paid out from the take-up reel side and one end of the draw-out tape is brought into engagement with the leader tape in order to draw out a tape, making the mechanism thereof complicated, and making it very likely for engagement between the end of the draw-out tape and the leader tape to be unsuccessful. In addition, the complicated mechanism requires a larger number of operating parts when moving the one-reel tape cassette into and from the recording/reproducing apparatus, making it less durable.
In addition, in the above-described conventional one-reel tape cassette, the press-contacting means for press-contacting the lower surface of the tape reel and the upper surface of the reel table and the biasing means used for engaging the lock means provided at the tape reel and the lock means provided at the cartridge are provided separately. This has resulted in problems such as increased number of parts, higher costs, and limitations in the extent to which the cassette can be made small due to the extra space required for setting the press-contacting means and the biasing means. When a larger number of parts is used, it is more likely for defects to occur in the cassette.
Accordingly, in order to overcome the above-described problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a tape cassette which requires fewer parts and which allows a tape to be reliably sent out using a simple mechanism.
To this end, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a tape cartridge wherein a leader tape that is more rigid than the recording medium in the form of a tape is connected to an unwinding end of the recording medium in the form of a tape;
wherein a protrusion is formed on at least a portion of both side edges of the leader tape;
wherein the tape reel has a flange on a top portion and on a bottom portion of a hub, and wherein engaging portions that engage the protrusions of the leader tape are formed on outer peripheral edges of the flanges; and
wherein rotation of the tape reel in one direction causes the engaging portions to feed the protrusions, whereby the leader tape is sent out from the cartridge.
In this case, the leader tape can be sent out from the cartridge only by the rotational drive power of the tape reel. Therefore, the tape cassette has a far simpler structure than the conventional structure in which the tape is drawn out from the cartridge by a draw-out tape.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a tape cassette wherein a leader tape guide wall is formed along substantially an entire periphery of the tape reel excluding a portion thereof located in correspondence with a tape draw-out opening so as to enclose at least a portion of the tape reel in an axial direction thereof.
In this case, the tape reel is rotated in the direction in which the tape is paid out to bring the leader tape into contact with the guide wall. Due to the rigidity thereof, the rotational force of the tape reel is used to pay out the leader tape, causing the leader tape to be reliably paid out from the cartridge.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a tape cassette, wherein a tape guide for guiding the tape is provided at a location corresponding to a location of a tape draw-out opening, with a protruding stopper being provided at a surface of the tape guide that comes into contact with the tape; and
wherein a stopping hole is formed in the leader tape, in which when the leader tape is rewound into the cartridge, the stopping hole comes into engagement with the stopper of the tape guide in order to prevent the leader tape from being drawn into the cartridge excessively.
In this case, the leader tape is prevented from being excessively drawn into the cartridge, so that one end of the leader tape is disposed in position. Therefore, the leader tape can be reliably paid out by rotation of the tape reel.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a tape cassette wherein a leader tape that is more rigid than the recording medium in the form of a tape is connected to an unwinding end of the recording medium in the form of a tape, and rotation of the tape reel in one direction causes the leader tape to be sent out from the cartridge; and
wherein a tape guide is provided near a tape draw-out opening in the cartridge in order to guide an end portion of the leader tape being pushed out towards the tape draw-out opening by the rotation of the tape reel.
In this case, even when one end of the leader tape has been deeply drawn into the cartridge, the rotation of the tape reel in one direction causes the one end of the leader tape to be guided by the tape guide towards the tape draw-out opening. Therefore, it is possible to reliably send out the leader tape.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a tape cassette comprising:
sliding restricting means, provided at the lower surface of the tape reel, for restricting sliding in a direction of a surface of the tape reel as a result of press-contacting the tape reel against the reel table;
biasing means for biasing the tape reel in a direction in which the tape reel is press-contacted against the reel table;
means for being locked, formed in the lower surface of the tape reel; and
locking means, disposed at an inside bottom surface of the cartridge, for engaging the means for being locked;
wherein when the tape cartridge is not used, the means for being locked and the locking means are made to engage each other by the biasing means, and wherein when the tape cartridge is used, the reel table is press-contacted against the sliding restricting means to cause the lower surface of the tape reel to separate from the inside bottom surface of the cartridge, whereby the means for being locked and the locking means are disengaged from each other.
In this case, the biasing means used as a member for transmitting power between the reel table and the tape reel when the tape cassette is used can also be used as a member for locking the tape reel when it is not used. Therefore, the number of parts used can be reduced.